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CP+ 2019 Ricoh interview: Some users who bought mirrorless cameras will return to DSLRs

20 May
Hiroki Sugahara from Ricoh’s Marketing Communication Department and Takashi Arai from Ricoh’s Product Planning Department

The CP+ 2019 trade show in Yokohama, Japan gave us the chance to meet a variety of senior executives from all the major camera makers. We spoke to a group of senior figures from Ricoh about the full cross-section of the company’s photographic range, with the answers mainly coming from:

  • Hiroki Sugahara – General Manager, Marketing Communication Department
  • Hiraku Kawauchi – Group Leader, PR, Marketing Communication Department

Please note that this interview was conducted partly via an interpreter, and has been edited for clarity and flow.

What has the response to the GR III been like, so far?

Very positive. This is not the first time we’ve disclosed the appearance and specifications, but this is the very first chance our customers have had to touch and use it. Even though they know the specifications, the purpose to come here is to touch and try, for example to experience the operability of the touchscreen or the performance of the macro capabilities.

From what I’ve seen and heard, the reaction is very good. Especially the operability of the touchscreen, which customers consider a positive. The shake reduction, the 24MP sensor or performance of the lens are features that our customers already knew from the specification sheet. But the quick response of the touchscreen seems very well accepted.

What was the logic behind the decision to use a unit-focus design for the GR III’s lens (that tends to slow down autofocus)?

The big priority is to make the camera body as compact as possible while retaining good resolving power of the lens.

Does the switch to phase-detection bring enough of a speed increase to overcome the challenge of moving a comparative heavy lens design?

The speed of the focusing is improved. But we’d also like to draw attention to the fact that you can now focus from 10cm to infinity, rather than 30cm to infinity, as on GR II. That range of scanning is broadened. This can sometimes give the impression of slower focus but the overall speed is faster than with GR II.

Is there room in your lineup for a sister model that isn’t 28mm, or maybe other adapter lenses?

One thing is for sure, we haven’t only made 28mm lenses: we did have a 21mm GR lens in the past, and we did have a 50mm equivalent [module] for the GXR. I feel this is also interesting: to have a sister model with other focal lengths.

But the important thing with this camera was that it should be fast enough and compact enough to be considered ‘GR.’ If we could achieve that with other focal lengths, that would be interesting.

Ricoh currently makes a wide range of products: Pentax DSLRs, the GR and WG compacts and the Theta series, are there any other niches you see existing or do you think there’s room to grow within these four areas?

On top of this we have 645Z, so already we have enough formats. We’re currently working on these categories of products.

We’ve seen a lot of movement away from DSLR to Mirrorless (by manufacturers), do you feel there are still types of photography better-suited to DSLR?

Currently mirrorless, especially full-frame mirrorless, is a movement. So many users are interested in this new category of camera: full-frame mirrorless. Mirrorless itself has its own benefits [and] appealing point to the users: they can check their images before hitting the shutter button, through the EVF. But on the other hand, DSLRs have their own benefits: users can enjoy the beautiful image through the optical viewfinder and then imagine different ways of taking photos using different settings, they can imagine the consequence of taking the picture.

I imagine, in two or three years, some users who bought mirrorless cameras will return to DSLRs

We have been studying various possibilities when it comes to development, but we believe both mirrorless and DSLR have their own appeal. I imagine, in two or three years, some users who bought mirrorless cameras will return to DSLRs or choose to use both systems, because each has its own benefits.

How do you prioritize which lenses to work on next, for K-mount? When do you plan a completely new lens, when do you replace an existing one?

We have a lineup with many lenses, particularly APS-C optimized lenses. Actually, in the industry, our number of APS-C-optimized lenses is number one. Our DA lens series and also the ‘Limited’ series of lenses, which gives a unique level of image quality for the enthusiast photographer. We also have the star lenses: we’re going to develop an 85mm F1.4 lens, so we are releasing very high quality lenses. And also APS-C optimized lenses like the 11-18mm F2.8. We will continue to release various series.

In spring, we released the 35mm F2 HD-coated lens, which is a modification of a conventional lens, so we’ll continue to do this kind of modification as well.

You mentioned the 645Z. We’re still seeing cameras launched with a similar sensor, many years after you did, so we understand it has a longer lifespan, but is that series still part of your plans?

Of course. We are continuing to develop the 645 series. We are pursuing higher picture quality for the system because users have high expectations of image quality.

[The representatives would not be drawn over whether these efforts were focused on better lenses or increased pixel counts]

When you’re designing a lens, do you see any tensions between needs of stills and video requirements? How do you strike that balance?

The overall priority is still image quality, but we do have the 55-300mm lens, which is designed to work well with the movie feature by including electromagnetic aperture control. So we continue to care about the movie performance as we design new lenses.

What were the challenges of including larger sensors in a Theta – for the previous generation there were concerns about being able to offer 4K, now you’ve done it with bigger systems.

It’s partly down to our heat management system: we use a metal body in the Theta Z1 unlike the Theta V, which had a plastic body. The Z1 uses a magnesium alloy, which is a better heat conductor, so we can manage the heat well.

In terms of space, first of all, we had to change the size. We also use three pairs of prisms, rather than two pairs: we changed the position of the sensor and how we bend the light to them.

The larger sensors on the Theta Z1 now sit further down in the body, facing out towards the sides of the body, whereas they were previously mounted on either side of the lens, facing inwards.

The larger sensor requires a longer focal length. There was the risk that using more prisms would lower the image quality but the design we came up with performs very well.

The body has got slightly thicker, did you need a wider angle-of-view to give plenty of overlap between the two cameras?

The angle-of-view is actually the same, but the minimum focus distance has increased. It’s now 40cm instead of 10cm. The angle-of-view was already more than 180 degrees, so we didn’t have to make it wider to give sufficient overlap.

What do you think is the most exciting new feature of the Z1?

We focused a lot on the image quality, to make it much, much better than previously possible. We really wanted to make sure that people used to DSLR image quality and professionals could use the Theta. We wanted to ensure it was suitable for creative and professional use.

Who is using Theta and what for?

There are two groups: consumers and business users. Some people are enjoying taking 360 degree images, editing and posting to Instagram. Currently our users are enjoying taking the video 4K 360 image and converting it to a 2D image: the editing software lets them choose the angle, or zoom in or out and post to sites such as YouTube. This is often in the same situations where you might use an action camera, like a GoPro.

Also, we see an equal number of users traveling and taking a 360 video image with a selfie stick, at a viewpoint, for instance. Then, when they get home, they can enjoy the memory of their travel, with a VR image. That’s [a typical consumer use-case].

In terms of business, it’s especially the real estate and second-hand car sales areas, and also in construction and inspection. There are many business users who can utilize this 360 image for recording or communicating a specific situation or image.

Is there some overlap between this and the G-series of industrial camera?

The G-series are waterproof cameras: They’re normal cameras, essentially. For an all-around image, the Theta is the better option: it brings additional possibilities. Those business-to-business customers will certainly benefit from the improved image quality of the Z1. They don’t need more video quality, necessarily, but they need the higher still image quality.

What is the unifying feature or quality that Ricoh brings to customers of GR, WG, 645, K and Theta?

We’re trying to make the operating system the same, the G-series, the GR series, WG and DSLRs are coming together. Even though the brands are different, the way of handling the camera is becoming more similar. Of course Theta is something different.

Are there any lessons you’ve learned from Theta that you can apply to your other cameras?

Our current Wi-Fi software is now essentially the same as it is in Theta. We have a specialized Wi-Fi app for GR, but we are looking to bring them together and introduce the same Wi-Fi software for GR, Theta and DSLR.

Also, we already use DNG Raw so that they’re compatible with Adobe Lightroom. But we also have stitching plugins for Lightroom that will stitch multiple images. This will have the same algorithm as the Theta, for stitching. But by making it in a plugin for Lightroom, professional photographers will already be familiar with the environment: their workflow doesn’t have to change.

Editor’s note:

As you might expect, a lot of Ricoh’s attention at present is on the GR III but this interview really brought home to me how much work’s gone into the Theta Z1. Ricoh always says the Theta has been a real success for them, and it’s certainly a distinctive product in a way you don’t often encounter in the photo industry.

But, while all the models have looked very similar, Ricoh has been constantly pushing what’s possible in terms of managing what they do with the space and all the heat within that same form-factor. Having previously been told how difficult it was going to be to process 4K video in such a small space without overheating, it seems amazing to find they’re now doing it with even larger sensors filling up the space.

Those are skills that can underpin interesting cameras in the future

This may not seem that exciting for users of the company’s Pentax DSLRs, but it can only be positive if a company has a product that pushes them to constantly work on processing efficiency, space optimization and thermal management, because those are skills that can underpin interesting cameras in the future.

Which is probably why I was pretty disappointed to hear Ricoh’s representatives appearing to suggest that DSLRs might make a comeback, once the novelty of mirrorless has worn off. Because, while I don’t think the DSLR is dead just yet, I wouldn’t bank on it ending up with much more than niche status in the long run. But perhaps Ricoh believes it can make a solid future by exploiting multiple small niches like this: that would certainly explain the amazing breadth of its product portfolio.

I can’t help imagine what a combination of this foresight, and the impressive engineering of the Theta Z1 would look like

A part of me can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Pentax was one of the first companies, way back in 1997, to show a concept mockup of what we’d now call a mirrorless camera. And, even though the market is now very crowded, I can’t help imagine what a combination of this foresight, and the impressive engineering of the Theta Z1 would look like, if they could be brought together.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CP+ 2019 Panasonic interview: ‘We’re proud of our cameraness’

12 May

The CP+ 2019 trade show in Yokohama, Japan, gave us the chance to speak to most of the major camera makers. Panasonic put forward an extensive team to discuss the company’s move into the full-frame market.

  • Michiharu Uematsu – Technical PR Adviser, Merchandising Dep., INBU
  • Tetsuya Uno – Group Manager, Optical Engineering Dep., INBU
  • Koji Shibuno – Manager, Software Engineering Dep. Key (responsible) engineer of AF engineering, INBU
  • Takayuki Tochio – Senior Coordinator, Product Engineering Dep., INBU Key engineer of Picture Quality
  • Hidenari Nishikawa – Senior Coordinator, Merchandising Dep., INBU
  • Shiori Kitaoka – Senior Coordinator, Communication Dep. CMD

Please note that this interview was conducted partly via an interpreter, and has been edited for clarity and flow.

How different is it to design a lens for a much bigger sensor? What are the challenges?

When we’re designing a lens, we look first at the most important properties: sharpness, transmission, distortion, vignetting, CA. But there are also some things are not measurable, quantitatively, such as bokeh. These are the ‘taste’ of the lens. So we need to understand this.

We assess bokeh at various distances. With Micro Four Thirds, the depth-of-field is deeper, relatively speaking. It’s obvious where the tack-sharp range is and where is the ‘big bokeh’ [significantly out-of-focus area] range is. But now, for the full frame we need to consider the intermediate range: the ‘small bokeh’ area. It could be around the focal plane: that may already begin to be defocused with a full frame sensor.

We’re constantly developing this to ensure the perfect ‘taste’ to our S-series lenses

We segment with depth: for the big bokeh area we want the beautiful bokeh with no onion ring effect and no unpleasant vignetting [of the bokeh: the ‘cats’ eye effect’]. We need to have smooth vignetting from the center to edges, with circular bokeh in the center and a smooth progression to non-circular bokeh near the corners.

With the small bokeh [transitional] area we think about the double-line bokeh: which is considered a ‘busy’ bokeh effect. Around the focal plane area the transition between tack-sharp and out-of-focus is very important.

We needed a way to quantify and evaluate these usually qualitative aspects. This feeling when we look at the picture, we need to calculate or transfer those parameters to the quantitative evaluation.

We’re constantly developing this to ensure the perfect ‘taste’ to our S-series lenses.

How well can you model bokeh or do you just have to build a sample lens and test it?

Thanks to very good simulation system we can roughly predict what the bokeh will look like beforehand. We create a prototype model but there can be gaps between what we expected from the simulation and exactly what we made, so we iterate with creation of the prototypes. So we model, create pre-production samples, evaluate and adjust before making another prototype model.

We firstly simulate a typical value of what we’d like to develop, then we can simulate the differences made by manufacturing tolerances, so we can predict those as well.

What are the challenges of making larger lenses with the high speed AF performance we’ve seen in Micro Four Thirds?

In terms of the mechanical part of the lens, we have a newly-developed double focus system and ultrasonic assist system. We have the double focus system in the 50mm lens and ultrasonic assist in the 24-105mm and 70-200mm.

In our double focus system, we have two groups of lenses which move independently for autofocus. Because we’ve separated the two groups, we can broaden the freedom of the development to give the best image quality and fast autofocus. Because we divided the AF into two, each group ends up being lighter, so they’re faster, too.

We have a newly-developed double focus system and an ultrasonic assist system

For the ultrasonic assist, it’s a new addition, on top of the linear focus actuator. The system keeps the lenses moving constantly, so that they don’t have to overcome ‘stiction’ [the friction that needs to be overcome to start moving] before being driven to the correct location. This means the force needed to drive the lens is much less. So we have an ultrasonic system moving the lens a matter of nanometers, to ensure the lens isn’t having to move from a dead start each time. It’s a small enough vibration that you don’t see it as AF wobbling.

Have you shared your DFD technology with Sigma and Leica?

The autofocus system protocol between the body and the lens is standardized in the L-mount alliance. So the other alliance members know what information the autofocus system needs. Beyond that it’s up to the individual lens businesses whether they include that information to be fully compatible. It’s up to them what they implement.

How do Leica L-mount lenses behave on the S1 and S1R?

Because this [DFD information] is already included in the protocol standard of the L-mount alliance, they already know how the body can command the lens to work.

The protocol hasn’t changed: L-mount lenses that already exist should work in the same way as our new lenses. The protocol was already fixed when Leica started it as the SL system. Of course we’re working on it all the time so it may be upgraded at some time, but for now it stays the same.

How does Panasonic plan to balance its resources between L-mount and Micro Four Thirds?

Because this was the launch of the S-series, we put the maximum effort into the S-series, including lenses. But you already know that we’re developing the 10-25mm F1.7 lens for Micro Four Thirds, that’s coming soon. So of course we are developing both S-series and G-series at the same time.

The forthcoming Panasonic Leica DG Vario Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 is supposed to show the company’s continued Micro Four Thirds ambitions.

Has the expansion to a new system involved any expansion of engineering or manufacturing capacity?

We have optimized our human resources internally so that we can develop both S series and G series to the highest standard.

The S1 video spec is good but not up to GH standard. Do you see L-mount making sense for pro/semi-pro video?

First of all, let us confirm the concept of these cameras: the S1R is for the professional photographer while the S1 is for the hybrid stills and video photographer, so the concepts of those models are a little bit different. This might be why the spec is not beyond the GH series.

In the future, we’d like to consider the users’ needs: it’s open to users’ feedback.

Do you feel there’s an advantage to Micro Four Thirds, when it comes to video?

There are many categories of video shooters from broadcasting or run-and-gun, through to cinema and creative videography. If we are thinking about broadcasting or run-and-gun videographers, there may be some advantage to the small, compact and lightweight combination. That’s the first benefit, compared to the larger sensor system. Image stabilization and overheating will be less of an issue, compared to full-frame sensors.

The degree of [creative] freedom broadens if you use a larger sensor, so maybe the cinema type of videographer would prefer the larger sensor, such as full frame. Maybe for cinema it’s better to take full frame.

Was EVA-1 level videography considered when developing the L system and its lenses?

Of course we have been discussing with professional camcorder team as a fundamental part of the engineering, but we haven’t discussed deeply how we might create such models. We’re not discussing which mount would be used for the coming product.

Of course we don’t disclose any further product information. At this point we don’t have any future information we can disclose.

Panasonic talks about the ‘cameraness’ of the S1: the degree to which it feels like a camera

You’re arriving in a very crowded sector of the market. What is it you think Panasonic can uniquely bring?

Firstly, cameraness: the interface, in terms of both hardware and software [making the device feel like a camera]. If you look at competitor models, they’re very innovative cameras but they’re having some negative comments in the market that the grips are smaller than expected or that the interface is [too] cutting-edge, leaving people confused when they first try to use them. We listened to a lot of customers’ feedback to create the S-series, so we designed the position of buttons, shape of buttons and also the menu settings accordingly. We’re proud of this cameraness and the interface, first of all.

In terms of features, we have the high resolution mode, which is number one in the market and Dual IS that gives up to six stops of stabilization. 4K/60p is a feature only we have in the full frame market and the electronic viewfinder is really high resolution: that too is number one in the market. This isn’t everything, of course, but we can offer all those functions and features, to even professional users so that they can easily come to our system and start using them for their professional work.

Also our HLG Photo mode: this comes from our background in videography and this allows for a new photographic style.

What does HLG mean for stills photography: what happens next? Editing tools for HDR images?

The editing, as you say, and the public awareness are important in the near future. Firstly we’d like everyone to try the HLG HDR photos, where people can have a [means] of expression beyond the standard definition.

In terms of editing, we are co-working with an alliance: we’re trying to find a solution to edit HDR images. On the technology side we’d like to be at least one step ahead of our competitors, so we will keep improving the image sensor technology to be capable for the high dynamic range world.

Of course we’re one of the few companies that can create HDR TVs as well as cameras, so of course we’re working with [our] TV business group. That way you’re not only shooting but can also display and view HDR images in the best possible environment.

For the HDR Photo style we’re working to have a wider [DR] option so that you can be really creative when shooting HLG photos.

Editor’s note

This meeting was a mixture of briefing and interview, which is why some of the answers are quite long and detailed. The upshot of this is, perhaps, that you don’t have to read quite so closely between the lines to see the message Panasonic wants to send. My own interpretation of it would be ‘we’re not just an electronics company: we care about even the most subtle aspects of image quality.’ Or maybe that’s just my response to hearing the word ‘cameraness’ again.

The thing I haven’t been able to capture in the text is the slide Panasonic showed me about the autofocus hit-rate they measured when shooting their cameras side-by-side with phase-detection-based rivals. The testing protocol wasn’t fully disclosed, but it showed their products delivering a hit-rate comparable to some pretty good cameras, and even out-performing phase-detection systems when the subject gets close to the camera.

My own interpretation of it would be ‘we’re not just an electronics company: we care about even the most subtle aspects of image quality.’

This is something we’ll be looking at as we test the S1 and S1R, because the general perception of DFD is that it’s flat-out inferior to phase-detection. This isn’t helped by the visually disturbing ‘flutter’ as the cameras try to maintain focus on moving objects (an effect made more dramatic by the high res viewfinders and shallow depth-of-field of the lenses on the S cameras).

Overall, though, it’s clear that Panasonic wants its S1 and S1R to appeal specifically to professional stills photographers. When it comes to video, the company’s plans seem less well-developed. For now, at least, it seems that Panasonic sees the GH series as its main video/stills camera platform.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2019 competition is open for submissions

09 May

Red Bull has returned once again with its action and adventure sports photography competition, Red Bull Illume. This marks the fifth iteration of Red Bull’s photo competition and with it comes a few changes.

Most notably, the competition will now run once every two years instead of every three years. Additionally, Red Bull has added four new categories, bringing this year’s total to 11 individual categories.

A panel of 50 international photo editors and digital media experts will select the top 55 finalists—five per category—before ultimately deciding the 11 category winners and one overall winner. In November 2019, the winners will be unveiled at a winner award ceremony. Following the ceremony, the 55 finalist images will travel around the world to be showcased in indoor and outdoor exhibitions.

Below are the 11 categories in this year’s competition, with an explainer, provided by Red Bull, of what each category is (the new ones will be marked with an asterisk):

Best of Instagram by SanDisk* — Images submitted on Instagram – photographer’s most gram- worthy moments of show-stopping adventure and action sports. Stuff so cool you have to stop scrolling.
Creative by Skylum — Images that have been enhanced digitally or in the darkroom through alterations made in the production or digital editing process. This is an open category so anything goes!
Emerging* — A fresh approach offers new angles. The up-and-coming category is for rising talents to compete on similar footing – submissions accepted only from photographers 25 years old or less. No video, no image manipulation. Show us your greatest capture!
Energy — Images that demonstrate the force that powers an action and show the energy, speed and strength required for an athlete to perform.
Innovation by Sony — Images that reveal a unique angle, a visual idea, a different format, light and flash effects… something never seen before! It‘s the purely creative image.
Lifestyle — Images that visually capture the creativity of the lifestyle, music and culture that surrounds action and freesports, or represents what happens before, between, and after the action.
Masterpiece — Images that illuminate your artistic skill, your personal best, your unique style – give us your best shot!
Moving Images* — Images are no longer standing still. The Moving Image category is an open playing field for video sequences between 5 and 30 seconds. Ready… set… action!
Playground — Images that showcase the landscapes, locations, platforms, and environments in which athletes play.
RAW* — Shots that are straight out of the camera showcasing the real image. Composition, exposure, lighting done in front of the lens and in the scene, not behind a screen. That’s the Raw category — un-cropped, un-touched, no filter.
Wings — Images that capture the point in a performance in which the athlete jumps, catches air, free falls, soars.

The winners of the eleven individual category prizes will win a collection of prizes valued at that include a Sony a7 III with the 24-105 F4 G Master Lens, a ‘bundle’ of SanDisk memory cards, Skylum Luminar 3 with accompanying presets, and photography apparel/accessories from COOPH. Separately, the winner of the ‘Creative by Skylum’ category will be welcomed on as part of the Global Skylum Ambassador Team and the winner of the ‘Emerging by Red Bull Photography’ category will get a spot at the Red Bull Rising Talent photography workshop in 2020, travel, accommodation and boarding included.

Finally, the overall winner of the Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2019 will win ‘a shooting experience with the SanDisk Extreme Team and take home the Sony Alpha A9 camera with a 24-70mm f2.8 lens from the G-Master range.’

Any image captured after March 31, 2016 is eligible for the contest and submissions are open through July 31, 2019. After signing up for a Red Bull Illume account, you can submit up to 10 images in each of the eleven categories. An image can be used in no more than two categories; photographs must be JPEGs larger than 8MP and videos for the ‘Moving Image’ category must be Full HD (1080p) and between 5-30 seconds.

Red Bull has provided a thorough list of rules and regulations for the contest and the images submitted to it. Red Bull has also shared a video showing how to upload submissions to the contest. You can find the winners from past competitions on the Red Bull Illume website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CP+ 2019: Tamron interview – ‘the full-frame market is expanding, so we’re looking at that market first’

28 Apr

At the CP+ show in Yokohama last month, we talked with senior executives from several major camera and lens manufacturers including Tamron. In our conversation with Mr Takashi Sawao, Mr Kenji Nakagawa and Mr Minoru Ando, we discussed various topics including the 40th anniversary of the ‘SP’ series, Tamron’s plans for mirrorless, and the shrinking APS-C market.

Participants:

  • Takashi Sawao, Executive Officer, General Manager, Imaging Products Business Unit
  • Kenji Nakagawa, Product Manager, Product Planning Dept., Imaging Products Business Unit
  • Minoru Ando, General Manager, Optical Design & Engineering R&D Unit

Please note that this interview has been edited for clarity and flow.

Why did you decide to make a premium F1.4 35mm?

‘SP’ stands for superior performance, and this year we’re celebrating 40 years since we first introduced ‘SP’. We had the F1.8 35mm and 45mm, and for those lenses the concept was compact prime lenses and ‘good balance’. F1.8 turned out to provide an optimal balance, having weighed various design criteria to deliver the highest possible performance and practical functionality including the VC feature. For the 35mm F1.4, we thought particularly about optical performance.

Since other manufacturers already have high-performance 35mm F1.4 lenses we wanted to achieve a very high-level prime lens. The MTF shows [better performance] than other lenses in this category.

Because this year is the 40th anniversary of SP, our engineers really tried to get the best optical performance with this F1.4 model. We really wanted to achieve high-quality, high-resolution images. Superior performance.

So the SP 35mm F1.4 is a 40th anniversary lens, in effect?

Yes, and we believe it’s performance is better than other brands. We have a lot of confidence in it.

The Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD should – according to Tamron’s executives – offer superior performance to competitive lenses from the other major manufacturers.

It feels very well-constructed – what does ‘SP’ mean in terms of build and design?

Tamron always tries to make unique lenses making a lens as compact as possible, or as lightweight as possible – and sometimes we trade off certain specifications to achieve that such as focal length, aperture range, or image quality. But with SP lenses we don’t do that. We just want to make a really high-performance lens with superior performance. We don’t want any compromises.

Is the weather-resistance different?

It is the same as other lenses described as having ‘Moisture-Resistant Construction’.

35-150mm is an unusual focal length range – can you explain this decision?

We see a lot of demand from portrait and wedding photographers, and wedding photographers. Especially in the US and Asia. They mostly use prime lenses like 85mm, 105mm or 135mm – single focal lengths. We wanted to make a very convenient lens that could cover from 35 to 150mm, which is the range mostly used for portraiture.

Effectively, this is six prime lenses in one

There are two popular focal length ranges – 24-70mm and 70-200mm, and usually people will take those two lenses when they shoot. We wanted to only make one lens. So while 200mm is maybe too long [for portrait photographers] and 24mm is too wide, 35-150mm allowed us to make the lens as compact as possible. Effectively, this is six prime lenses in one.

On an APS-C camera this lens will cover 56-240mm, do you anticipate that a lot of APS-C shooters will buy this lens?

Our primary goal is to cover the most popular focal lengths for full-frame. And by having 85mm in the middle of the range, which is the most popular focal length for portraiture, [that’s where] MTF is highest.

What is the maximum aperture at 85mm?

F3.5.

The Tamron 35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD offers an unusual focal length range, intended to incorporated the major prime lens focal lengths used by portrait photographers.

Are you confident that performance is a match for high quality primes?

Yes. And the bokeh effect is really soft and natural.

When you design a lens that you intend to be used for portraiture, what does that mean from an optical design standpoint?

When we make portrait lenses, we focus on very natural bokeh together with high resolution. Those factors are really difficult to achieve at the same time, but with this lens we’re really concentrating on that. Sharp, high contrast from the center to the edge together with a very natural bokeh effect. Those two factors are really important.

The 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD is the second of your full-frame Sony E-mount lenses – do you have plans for more?

Yes of course. People really want a telephoto zoom to cover focal lengths longer than 75mm. We’re looking [into] that.

Do you have plans to create lenses for Canon RF and Nikon Z?

Yes, we’re also looking at that area. We have to do a lot of research and development into the reverse engineering, because they don’t disclose the details of their systems, so it’s a really hard job for us.

There are now four main full-frame mirrorless systems with different mount dimensions. Will you make completely different designs for the different mounts?

Each system has a different flange back distance and diameter. We need to do more research to see if we can use the same optical designs for the different mounts. But basically our approach will be the same as it is for DSLR. When we launch DSLR lenses we have the same optical design, and we customize for the different mounts. Even if the systems are totally different we’ll try to make a unified optical design.

If we design optics for a long flange back, we can adapt them for short flange back systems. It doesn’t work the other way around.

Tamron’s new 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD is the second of the company’s lenses designed for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. Slated to be available in the coming weeks, it will be joined by a third FE lens, covering the 75mm+ range, at some point in the future.

How important is APS-C to Tamron?

APS-C is still important to us, but when we think about the [industry], the full-frame market is expanding, so we’re looking at that market first – that’s the first priority. So gradually we’ll create a [full-frame] line and then at another time we can launch more APS-C lenses. The APS-C market is shrinking quite fast.

Do you think that will change?

It might stop shrinking, but we’re looking at customers who buy APS-C cameras, and they tend to have a single zoom kit and they don’t [tend to] invest in additional lenses.

What do you think differentiates Tamron from other lens manufacturers?

Our target is those photographers who really want to enjoy photography with a lightweight and compact [package]. We introduced the FE 28-75mm f2.8 for Sony E-mount, which is really compact and matches the Sony cameras really nicely for size and weight. This lens is selling quite well, and we’re backordered for six months.

Tamron always tries to give photographers another solution

Other manufacturers are making very big lenses with high resolution and wide apertures, but people are struggling to carry such heavy lenses. They can’t take a lot of them when they’re out shooting. Tamron always tries to give photographers another solution. Lenses that are compact, with very high quality, but maybe a slightly different spec. Like this 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD, it’s a different solution – you can see the really compact size of this lens. Our aim is to provide another solution to our customers.

In a compact lens of this kind, how much are you relying on software correction?

We utilize software corrections in the camera body, but even without correction this lens will still give good performance. Of course this lens will let a Sony camera correct some things, but it offers a very high level of quality. We checked pictures from the lens, without any corrections, and the picture quality is very good. The quality only gets better with corrections from the camera body. We’re very confident [in its performance].

Editors’ note: Barnaby Britton

The ‘SP’ lineup is 40 years old, and even if you forgot its birthday, Tamron’s engineers didn’t. According to the executives that I spoke to, the new SP 35mm F1.4 is, to all intents and purposes, a special 40th anniversary lens. A ‘no compromise’ design intended to take on, and beat, the best that the company’s competitors can offer.

Although I’ve only spent a few minutes handling a pre-production sample, that was enough to whet my appetite. We’re hoping to get hold of a final copy soon, so watch out for some sample images the minute we do. The large, heavyweight SP 35mm F1.4 doesn’t seem to quite fit with the company’s ‘compact’ lenses philosophy, but we’ll let Tamron’s engineers off this time – it is a birthday, after all.

Also coming soon is the 35-150mm F2.8-4, at first glance a somewhat odd lens that I, like a lot of people, I suspect, originally assumed was designed for APS-C when it was announced earlier this year. On the contrary, this is a full-frame lens, specifically designed to replace the most common focal lengths for portrait photographers. We’re told that in the middle of its range, around 85mm, it should deliver an optimal combination of sharpness and attractive bokeh for portraiture. Tamron has made lenses of this kind before – the ancient Adaptall-2 35-135mm F3.5-4.5 and its subsequent variants was pretty well-regarded, but the 35-150mm appears to be a much more specialized lens.

The APS-C market is shrinking, and Tamron would be irresponsible to pour resources into a contracting market

My question about whether Tamron expected APS-C users to be interested in its 56-240mm equivalent focal length was given polite consideration, but it was obvious from this conversation that the company is focused elsewhere: on full-frame. The APS-C market is shrinking, and Tamron would be irresponsible to pour significant resources into developing lenses for a contracting market. The audience for lenses designed for full-frame mirrorless, on the other hand, is guaranteed to grow over the coming years. With two FE lenses for Sony already on the market, it was reassuring to hear from Tamron’s executives that longer focal lengths are being planned, to round out the lineup.

Next, of course, will be reverse-engineering lenses for the Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts (it seems unlikely that Tamron will bother with L-mount given Sigma’s head start as a member of the alliance). In our conversation, Tamron’s executives reinforced what we’ve been told by other optical engineers (including Sigma’s Kazuto Yamaki) that designing for a longer flange back distance and adapting that design to shorter mounts is the only practical way to create one optical formula for several mounts. As such, it seems possible that before too long, the popular Sony FE-mount 28-75mm F2.8 might form the basis of new standard zooms for Canon and Nikon mirrorless.

Read more interviews from CP+ 2019 and beyond

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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These are the winners of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

18 Apr

2019 Sony World Photography Award Winners Announced

The 12th annual Sony World Photography Awards received a record-breaking 326,997 entries, submitted from 195 countries and territories, across ten categories. The World Photography Organization, who partners with Sony on one of the largest and most prestigious photography competitions in the world, announced the winners in an awards ceremony held at the Somerset House in London.

Bologna-based Italian artist Federico Borello won the coveted Photographer of the Year ?title for his series Five Degrees. The thought-provoking collection explores the plight of male suicide in the Southern India farming community of Tamil Nadu. The region experienced its worst drought in 140 years during 2016-2017. Borello’s collection of images, based on a study from Berkeley University, examined the parallels between climate change, rising temperatures, and increased rates of suicide.

Bologna-based Italian artist Federico Borello won the coveted Photographer of the Year ?title for his series Five Degrees. The thought-provoking collection explores the plight of male suicide in the Southern India farming community of Tamil Nadu.

The purpose of the Sony World Photography Awards is to support the continuous development of photographic culture. Borello won $ 25,000 to develop future projects along with professional equipment from Sony. Sony, in partnership with the World Photography Organization, also provides a platform to new talents of the future in the Professional, Open, Youth and Student competitions with prizes ranging from $ 3,500 to $ 7,000.

Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, which will showcase both shortlisted and winning images, is on show at Somerset House from April 18th to May 6th. It will move on to other international destinations, thereafter, including Japan, Italy, and Germany. Tickets for the London event can be purchased here.

Submissions for the 2020 competition will open Saturday, June 1st, 2019 and are free of charge.

Photographer of the Year and 1st Place, Documentary

Photo © Federico Borella, Italy, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Documentary, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

About the photo: This skull of a farmer who reportedly committed suicide, pictured above, was used during a protest in Delhi. Farmers held it high and demanded a drought relief package along with a loan waiver for peasants from the state.

About the series: Could the dramatic increase in Indian farmers who take their own lives be closely connected to climate change and rising temperatures? A study from Berkeley University, found a correlation between climate change and suicide among Indian farmers.

It is estimated that 59.300 farmer suicides over the last 30 years are attributable to climate change. According to experts, temperatures in India could increase by another 5°F by 2050. Without focused government intervention, global warming will lead to more suicides all over India. But what leads farmers to this extreme act? They run into debt through investing in production, and repaying previous loans.

Despite these efforts, harvests damaged by adverse weather, and short-sighted water management lead to debt repayment failure. The impact of climate change affects global wellbeing, going beyond India and threatening mankind as a whole. This project is located in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India, which is facing the worst drought for 140 years.

Open Photographer of the Year

Photo © Christy Lee Rogers, United States, Open Photographer of the year, Open competition, Motion, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Rogers captured this image, underwater, in Hawaii as part of her Muses Collection. She used the surface of a pool as her canvas and leveraged effects such as the refraction of light, plus shooting at night, to create a dramatic scene she describes as ‘reality-bending.’

Youth Photographer of the Year

Photo © Zelle Westfall, United States, Youth Photographer of the Year, Youth, Diversity, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Abuot is the friend of the student photographer, 18, who was testing out her equipment. She immediately knew she had captured what she wanted in the initial shot.

In her own words: ‘Abuot is my friend from school and she is one of the funniest people I know. In today’s society, with skin bleaching products and colorism flooding the media, it’s important to highlight the beauty of dark-skinned women who are often told that they are “too dark.”‘

Student Photographer of the Year

Photo © Samuel Bolduc, Canada, Student Photographer of the Year, Student Focus, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: The orange groves of La Terreta inspire a strong sense of pride in Villaneuva and the natives who ‘love our roots, the richness of our land, our culture, our people, our identity.’ This photo depicts the women who select the oranges that will be shipped to markets around the world.

Series Description: In Valencian, there is a word that describes pride for the land where I belong: La Terreta. A feeling that surrounds us all, be part of La Terreta is to love our roots, the richness of our land, our culture, our people, our identity.

Every time I go to La Terreta there is a sign that I see on the road that welcomes me home: the orange groves. That is why in this series I have focused on capturing daily life around the orange trees. From the farmers who plant and care for the trees to harvest the fruit, to the women who choose the oranges that will end up around the world.

The orange tree is the essence of my land, it maintains the feeling of belonging and leaves the door open to future generations, spreading a message about the value of taking care of what nature gives us as a part of our identity.

1st Place, Architecture

Photo © Stephan Zirwes, Germany, 1st Place, Professional competition, Architecture , 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Public pools are accessible by every class of people in Germany. The photographer has pleasant memories of summers spent in them during his childhood. He captured this overview of one of them with a drone.

Series Description: In Germany, pools are public. They are part of social and cultural life, open for all kind of social classes, a place where people spend a lot of time, especially in childhood and which leaves pleasant memories. Everybody can afford the inexpensive entrance fee. The series was shot by drone, in summer 2018 at a height of only a few meters.

1st Place, Brief

Photo © Rebecca Fertinel, Belgium, 1st Place, Professional competition, Brief, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Thanks to her friend, Tracy, who invited her to the wedding where this image was captured, the photographer got acquainted with the unabashed approach to life of the Congolese community in Belgium along with the Bantu concept “Ubuntu”: that you only really become human when you are connected to everything and everyone. The bridesmaids in this photo are dancing with each other and the wedding guests.

Series Description: In August 2015 the photographer (b. 1991) was invited to a wedding by her friend Tracy. Here, the photographer was introduced to the warm, unabashed approach to life of the Congolese community in Belgium and the Bantu concept “Ubuntu”: that you only really become human when you are connected to everything and everyone.

The concept of Ubuntu seems to intertwine with the desire to belong to a group and maintain a group identity in a changing environment. Showing the ambiance but also the silent moments in between, I tried to capture the feeling of an event that seems like a true celebration, focused on joy and ritual and not on the need for a perfect venue. This project wants to place the viewer in an environment that most have experienced at one time or another at a wedding, party or a wake.

1st Place, Creative

Photo © Marinka Masséus, Netherlands, 1st Place, Professional competition, Creative, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Marginalized groups are getting more vocal, gaining confidence and claiming their rightful place in society. Whether it is the LGBT+ community, people of color, women resisting objectification, and especially Down’s Syndrome, people are speaking up in favor of equal rights. With the advent of technological advances in prenatal screening, the narrative surrounding inclusion of individuals with Down’s Syndrome is especially urgent.

Series Description: This series is part of the Radical Beauty project, an international photography project which aims to give people with Down’s Syndrome their rightful place in visual arts. The young women I worked with shared a strong will to succeed.

To prove themselves. It must be beyond frustrating to be underestimated all the time. With ‘Chosen [not] to be’ I reflect on their reality – the barriers they face, society’s refusal to see their capabilities, the invisibility of their true selves – and translate their experiences visually. In the Netherlands, people with Down’s Syndrome have collected their experiences in a book, called Zwartboek (Black book).

They have offered this book to the government as a catalyst for change. Reading the collection of stories in this book broke my heart. There is so much misinformation. This misinformation leads to misconceptions and widely held preconceived notions which profoundly impact the lives of people with Down’s.

1st Place, Documentary

Photo © Federico Borella, Italy, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Documentary, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Taken in May, 2018, this is a portrait of Rasathi, the wife of Selvarasy, a farmer who committed suicide one year ago by hanging himself in his own field. He got into debt with a cooperative society. Five Degrees is the world’s best series of work, selected from the 10 Professional category winners.

Series Description: Could the dramatic increase in Indian farmers who take their own lives be closely connected to climate change and rising temperatures? A study from Berkeley University, found a correlation between climate change and suicide among Indian farmers. It is estimated that 59.300 farmer suicides over the last 30 years are attributable to climate change.

According to experts, temperatures in India could increase by another 5°F by 2050. Without focused government intervention, global warming will lead to more suicides all over India. But what leads farmers to this extreme act? They run into debt through investing in production, and repaying previous loans. Despite these efforts, harvests damaged by adverse weather, and short-sighted water management lead to debt repayment failure.

The impact of climate change affects global wellbeing, going beyond India and threatening mankind as a whole. This project is located in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India, which is facing the worst drought for 140 years.

1st Place, Landscape

Photo © Yan Wang Preston, United Kingdom, 1st Place, Professional competition, Landscape , 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Part of an eight-year project by Wang to explore the upheaval of natural habitats to create manmade cities in China, this photo depicts a lone quarry. A young sapling stands in the center, sustained by a bag of nutrition liquid and a pile of semi-artificial red soil.

Series Description: The series depicts the otherworldly “ecology recovery” landscape in Haidong Development Zone in Dali, Yunnan Province, China. Here, a small rural area is being urbanised systematically to create “an international leisure town and an ecology model town.”

In doing so, the topsoil of the entire area is replaced by a type of red, semi-artificial soil, which forms the base for introduced, mostly non-indigenous plants, including thousands of mature trees. Meanwhile, green plastic netting is used to cover everything unappealing to the eye, from construction waste to disused quarries.

The town’s objective here has shifted from an “ecological” concern to a cosmetic one of trying to be visually green. The images are part of an eight-year project “Forest” (2010-2017), for which the photographer investigates the politics of recreating forests and “natural” environments in new Chinese cities.

1st Place, Natural World & Wildlife

Photo © Jasper Doest, Netherlands, 1st Place, Professional competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Bob is a flamingo from the Caribbean. His life changed permanently when he accidentally flew into a hotel window and got a concussion. His caretaker, Odette Doest, is a vet who runs a local rehabilitation center for animals. Bob is an ambassador for FDOC, an organization that educates locals about the importance of protecting the island’s wildlife.

Series Description: Bob is a Caribbean flamingo, from the Dutch island of Curaçao. His life took a dramatic turn when he flew into a hotel window, leaving him severely concussed. He was cared for by Odette Doest, a local vet who also runs a wildlife rehabilitation centre and conservation charity – the Fundashon Dier en Onderwijs Cariben (FDOC). Existing disabilities meant Bob couldn’t be released, but instead he became ambassador for FDOC, which educates locals about the importance of protecting the island’s wildlife.

1st Place, Portraiture

Photo © Álvaro Laiz, Spain, 1st Place, Professional competition, Portraiture, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: In Chukchi culture, past, present and future are intimately linked. The Edge series portrays the idea of shared memory and science through population genetics data analysis for every participant.

Series Description: Humans have inhabited North America for at least 16,500 years since they first stepped through the Bering Strait. The Chukchi, a Paleo-Siberian tribe from the Russian side of the Bering Strait may be key to understanding how America was inhabited. In Chukchi culture, past, present and future are intimately linked.

You are not just you: you are your father, your grandfather and your great-grandfather, back to the first Bering Strait hunter. Thanks to population genetics research we are now certain that the first Chukchi hunters left their genetic footprint in all Native American people when they first settled in America. From the Navajo to the Mayans; from Alaska to Tierra de Fuego.

The Edge combines this poetic yet powerful idea of shared memory and science through population genetics data analysis for every participant. A visual journey where past and future combine, exploring a period of our history full of unanswered questions and raising new ones about our understanding of current migratory processes across the entire American continent.

1st Place, Sport

Photo © Alessandro Grassani, Italy, 1st Place Professional competition, Sport , 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

About this photo: Part of the series, Boxing Against Violence, this image depicts 16-year-old Elysèe. She is a part of city boxing club in Goma, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In her words: ‘I’ve been boxing for 2 years, it’s something that gives me strength and courage to defend myself and makes me feel accepted everywhere. In this city there is so much violence that you must always be ready to react. Under the ashes of this society there are latent conflicts, a violence ready to explode at any moment. Thanks to boxing I feel ready to face these dangers.’

Series Description: Goma, North Kivu. This area has sadly been labelled the “rape capital of the world” and one of the worst places in the world for women to live. All these sad records have not stopped women, whose will to go on and overcome the atrocities suffered over the years, is stronger and more alive than ever in the story I’m telling.

Some boxing clubs in Goma are the meeting place for a group of women who have found hope and passion in boxing. Here, women not only learn to throw punches, but to regain strength and the desire to fight against injustice, while dreaming and training to become the next world boxing champion. I created this series of portraits to depict this incredible group of young women living in a deeply patriarchal society, a place where women have only one way to survive: learning to fight.

1st Place, Still Life

Photo © Nicolas Gaspardel & Pauline Baert, France, 1st Place, Professional competition, Still Life, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards

Image Description: Two ingredients, combined, make something that looks disgusting but is hypnotic, nonetheless, with its composing and pops of color.

Series Description: With a touch of mockery, BEURKMAGAZINE photographs food every day through metaphors that are as poetic as they are disturbing. For BEURKMAGAZINE, society is “yuck” in a pop culture universe.

Our creative approach is composed of antithesis. Dali amused himself by composing works with irrational associations of forms, images and objects; Maurizio Cattelan, meanwhile, focuses on the subversion of symbols and provocation; we are somewhere in between, with a more general than personal point of view and a desire to give ugliness an artificial beauty.

Food is at the center of our ideas, which are magnified, manipulated and reworked to highlight our message. The pop tone, tight shots and especially the titles are an integral part of our signature.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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2019 Pulitzer Prize photography award winners announced for Breaking News, Feature Photography

17 Apr

Editor’s note: Some of the photographs in the winning selections are graphic in nature. We have taken the liberty to censor a few of the more graphic images and provide uncensored links in the gallery description, but even some of the uncensored images are tough to look at. Please keep this in mind when proceeding through the award-winning images.

The 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners have been announced, including two in their respective photography categories: the photography staff of Reuters for Breaking News Photography and Lorenzo Tugnoli of The Washington Post for Feature Photography. Both winners have been awarded $ 15,000 each.

The photography staff of Reuters was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their ‘vivid and startling visual narrative of the urgency, desperation and sadness of migrants as they journeyed to the U.S. from Central and South America,’ it was announced. The photography staff of Reuters was awarded the Feature Photography Pulitzer Prize in 2018, as well. Below is a gallery of the winning photographs in the Breaking News Photography category:

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Reuters congratulated the winners on Monday. The publication’s Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement:

While it’s gratifying to be recognized for the work, public attention should be focused more on the people about whom we report than on us: in this case, the Rohingya and the Central American migrants.

In addition, Lorenzo Tugnoli of The Washington Post was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his ‘brilliant photo storytelling of the tragic famine in Yemen, shown through images in which beauty and composure are intertwined with devastation.’ The work was moved from the Breaking News Photography to the Feature Photography category by the Pulitzer jury. Below is a gallery of the winning photographs in the Feature Photography category:

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Tugnoli was joined by Craig F. Walker of The Boston Globe and Maggie Steber and Lynn Johnson of National Geographic, who were nominated as finalists. In the Breaking News Photography category, the photography staff of Associated Press and Noah Berger, John Locher and Ringo H. W. Chiu of Associated Press were nominated as finalists.

Photo credit: Photos by their respective photographers/organizations, used with permission from the Pulitzer Prize organization

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CP+ 2019 Olympus Interview: Micro Four Thirds can be appreciated in almost all photographic fields

15 Apr
[L-R] Toshi Terada and Shigemi Sugimoto, pictured at the CP+ 2019 show in Yokohama

We spoke to Olympus at the CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan, shortly after the announcement of the OM-D E-M1X. We spoke to Shigemi Sugimoto: Executive Officer, Head of Imaging Business Unit and our old friend Toshi Terada: General Manager, Global Marketing Department, Imaging Business Unit.

We discussed a range of topics, from the company’s new camera to its overall ambitions for Micro Four Thirds.

Please note that this interview was conducted partly via an interpreter, and has been edited for clarity and flow.

What’s the response to E-M1X been like?

We’ve been holding touch-and-try events in many places and have received a lot of very positive feedback from customers. Pre-sales orders are at expected levels and we have had a good start worldwide.

The E-M1X is a model that requires a lot of consideration before users make a purchase, so we believe the users will read many reviews and learn about benefits of E-M1X before buying.

I’ve attended some touch and try events and I was very pleased to see so many customers at these events. We’re also been getting positive feedback from professional photographers.

Some people may feel that the E-M1X is big for a Micro Four Thirds system. However, the feedback we’re getting from customers that have actually tried the product is that it has changed their view. So we hope people will pick up our product and try it.

Who is the E-M1X it aimed at?

It’s a part of our professional line, along with E-M1 Mark II. One of the user groups we’re targeting is professional photographers, but also the high-level amateur, the enthusiast: they make up much of our target audience, along with the professionals.

Do you think there is significant demand for sub full-frame professional cameras?

Having received feedback from professional photographers, we feel that Micro Four Thirds’ benefits of being compact and lightweight can be appreciated in almost all photographic fields.

We feel that Micro Four Thirds’ benefits of being compact and lightweight can be appreciated in almost all photographic fields

Actually, we are seeing that there are many photographers who started using the Micro Four Thirds as their second camera, are going on to use it as their main camera.

How would you like the ‘X’ line to evolve? (and how will it need to evolve?)

As a part of the professional series with E-M1 Mark II, we will evolve the basic performance and continue to offer innovative features. Also the E-M1X line-up will further improve the level of operability and reliability.

The OM-D E-M1 II continues alongside the E-M1X as part of Olympus’s products for professional and enthusiast photographers.

How did you choose the subject-types for the subject detection/recognition AF?

Initially, we’ve chosen those three subjects that are really difficult to track by yourself, without any help, just using the single point or even using the group target area. They’re really hard to chase, with a fast-moving subject.

We also chose subjects where you need pinpoint focus – the kind of moving subject where it’s really hard to focus precisely on one specific point, for example to focus on the rider’s helmet rather than just to detect a motor bike. That’s the kind of subject where it’s most helpful to have subject detection.

If you get feedback from users, how difficult is it to train the system to recognize a new subject?

At the moment we have three specific subjects that can be detected automatically and we’re also looking to enhance the range of subjects, the types of subject. That is, if we can manage it using the current hardware, of course: at some point there is a limitation to the hardware. Also, subject detection maybe not be effective for every subject.

We have prioritized the other subjects we could look at: I cannot tell you specific subject names but, as I said, the benefit of subject detection is pinpoint autofocus, [in situations] where we should focus on a specific point. And the kind of subject that’s not easy to chase – that’s the kind of subject we should select in future.

In a lot of other brands’ systems, the machine learning efforts have mainly concentrated on human subjects. Do you feel your system is already good enough at this?

Humans are the most important subject for many photographers. We have face and eye detection already, of course. We know it’s possible to improve those kinds of detection, though, so we feel we should somehow improve [our cameras’ performance] in the future.

Could you imagine a time where we might see different subject recognition modes in different models?

This is one possibility: to choose which type of product should have what kind of subject tracking.

We are just launching that kind of new technology, so we should listen to the market to find out how they are using it, or what kind of demand they are looking for. Depending on feedback from market we can consider how to implement this kind of function in a future model.

The Micro Four Thirds system is fairly comprehensive, where are the gaps in your lens lineup right now?

Our lens roadmap has been well received by customers. We have more plans for the future, and we will continue to listen to our customers’ requirements.

What kinds of lenses are your professional customers asking for?

The high resolution of our lenses continues to satisfy professional customers, therefore we will continue building compact, high resolution lenses.

The 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO is going to launched in 2020: providing a level of reach that’s difficult to match in such a compact form.

We plan to launch several lenses every year and, of course, there will be releases of lenses before the 150-400mm PRO launch in 2020. So, please look out for a more information about our forthcoming product releases.

How much demand are you seeing for video features in your cameras?

As you may recognize, the demand of video capability is increasing. We are, of course, trying to catch up that kind of technology. Videographers are seeing our potential in terms of superb image stabilization performance in a compact and lightweight package.

Our stance for video is not changed: our products are stills-based cameras that also can capture video. We’re not a pioneer in video technology but we know it’s become a necessary technology for photographers, and we have heard from videographers saying they see the benefits of our powerful image stabilization and lightweight system for their video recording. So we’re working to offer a unique video capability for these videographers as well as for photographers who record video.

What effect, if any, do you see HDR displays having on photography?

If that kind of display is getting popular in the market, then maybe we should consider our output take advantage of that display character.

If performance of current displays makes it worthwhile, to have some other kind of the gamma, perhaps Log character, then why not? It’s just a different kind of Raw development, effectively. We can process images to suit the current display technology or for printing or we can process for a wider DR display: it’s really flexible.

In the case of video footage the data file becomes larger to accommodate the dynamic range, but in stills it’s easier. In still photography the dynamic range is defined by the image sensor [so the information is already in the Raw file]. It’s a kind Raw development challenge, we’d just need to optimize the algorithm.

We are a very R&D-orientated company: we focus on the technology which is necessary for photographers

We will keep looking at the standards and the level of performance of these displays: if we find we need to optimize for the display, why not? It all depends on whether there’s a market for this kind of display, whether it’s worth developing.

We have our own perspective because we’re a camera and lens maker. For consumer electronics manufacturers, who are also making monitors, there might also be an element of marketing strategy.

As you know, we are a very R&D-orientated company: we focus on the technology which is necessary. We’re not from the marketing world, so we can look at these technologies solely from the perspective of whether they’re valuable for photographers.

How will you reassure fans of smaller, lighter cameras? Is there still interest?

As you know, the E-M1X is a new product line for offering the benefit of a compact and lightweight system for users that require an integrated battery grip for telephoto shooting such as wildlife.

The E-M5 line is important: we can reassure users we are planning a successor model.

We can’t give you the details of future models today, but we can say that we will continue with current lineup strategy and successor models will be coming. We’d like to mention that the E-M5 line is an important product category for middle users: we can reassure users we are planning to introduce a successor model.

What advantages can you offer by using a smaller sensor (compared with those who’ve rushed to full frame)? Small/fast readout/easier to stabilize?

The Olympus ILC system has been defined by the benefits of being compact and lightweight, right back to the time of the film camera. We will continue to offer the same benefit while focusing on Micro Four Thirds, this means our brand offers a single mount system for all customers, which makes it to easily understand and can be used for a long time with confidence.

The OM-D E-M5 II demonstrates the company’s ability to make small, capable cameras with excellent handling

A single Interchangeable lens camera system offering high image quality, will continue to evolve as a system, to provide the significant values of compact and lightweight, high resolving power and image stabilization that full-frame cameras cannot offer.

We consider our strengths to be that our cameras are compact and lightweight. High resolution power (means resolution lens) and also image stabilization as you know. Across our entire product lineup we are always looking to enhance these core technologies.

What are the benefits to offering everything from entry-level to pro-level in a single system?

It means to upgrade the customer doesn’t need to change everything. You can keep using the lenses, of course. Also, if we change the [sensor] format size all sorts of things change. The aspect ratio might change, the depth-of-field changes, the effect of focal length changes: the angle-of-view is different – it’s complicated.

A single format system means don’t worry about that kind of thing. Your existing experience can be carried over to the next model.

Which types of photographer/photography benefit most from balance of size/Image Quality that Micro Four Thirds offers?

We believe that all types of photographers will benefit from shooting with Micro Four Thirds. The value of compact and lightweight system offers photographers greater freedom in shooting across many fields.

For example in landscape or bird shooting, users traditionally have to shoot from a fixed point, using a tripod. However, our system offers new shooting styles such as handheld telephoto shooting thanks to its compact and lightweight system together with strong IS. In this way our system is expanding the photography shooting range for cameras.

Will the Digital Imaging division always be a small part of Olympus’s overall business, or do you hope it might one day rival the medical division?

Olympus has three business domains: Medical, Scientific Solutions and Imaging. Through these, Olympus is contributing to the society by ‘Making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling’. The role of the Imaging business is to make people’s lives more fulfilling through our products, mainly cameras and lenses including related services. We would like to deliver the joy of capturing and expressing special moments through photography to as many people as possible.

Also, the imaging business is contributing as a technology driver regardless of its business size, in terms of the advanced digital technologies, Low-cost production and design technologies, and Mobile technologies.

Editor’s note:

Olympus is one of the few companies not currently expanding into a new mirrorless format. Given how expensive it is to develop a wholly new system and how much competition there now is (in a market segment whose potential size is still unknown) this is understandable.

The decision leaves Olympus in a position where it needs to clearly communicate the appeal of its system: cameras that can’t necessarily match the image quality of larger systems but that can be smaller and lighter, as a trade-off, and this was a recurring feature of our conversation. The use of a smaller sensor is also part of how Olympus is able to offer the ridiculously good image stabilization in the E-M1X and, potentially, more video-capable models in future.

Mr Sugimoto is right to say that the E-M1X makes a lot more sense once you’ve held it

The thing I was surprised wasn’t mentioned more was how extensive the Micro Four Thirds lens lineup is. As the originator of the modern mirrorless system, Olympus has comfortably the most extensive lens lineup for this style of camera. Of course the quandary is: once you have a lens lineup that stretched from consumer zooms to a trio of F1.2 primes, what else do you do, if the message of small and light isn’t reaching a wide enough audience?

Mr Sugimoto is right to say that the E-M1X makes a lot more sense once you’ve held it: it may look like a massive pro-sports DSLR but is well judged so that it’s big enough to feel comfortable with a large lens on it, but small enough to offer something distinct from the likes of the big twin-grip Canons and Nikons.

Personally, though, the thing that stood out was the confirmation that the company is working on a third-generation of E-M5. I consider the original version to have been the first genuinely great mirrorless camera and think it’s the perfect type of camera to take advantage of the Micro Four Thirds lens range.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: World Press Photo names ‘Crying Girl on the Border’ its 2019 Photo of the Year

13 Apr

2019 World Press Photo of the Year Winners

Editors note: There are images in the above gallery that are considered graphic and explicit in nature. Keep this in mind while looking through the gallery.

World Press Photo has announced the winners for its 2019 Photo Contest and named John Moore’s ‘Crying Girl on the Border,’ seen in the next slide, as Photo of the Year and First Prize in the Spot News Single category.

‘The winning image shows Honduran toddler Yanela Sanchez crying as she and her mother, Sandra Sanchez, are taken into custody by US border officials in McAllen, Texas, USA, on 12 June 2018,’ says World Press Photo in its statement on the winning photo. ‘After this picture was published worldwide, US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Yanela and her mother had not been among the thousands who had been separated by US officials. Nevertheless, public outcry over the controversial practice resulted in President Donald Trump reversing the policy on 20 June.’

John Moore has photographed in 65 countries on six continents and is a senior staff photographer and special correspondent for Getty Images. Whitney C. Johnson, vice president, Visuals and Immersive Experiences, at National Geographic and 2019 Photo Contest jury chair had the following to say about the winning photograph:

The details in the picture are interesting. From the gloves that the border patrol officer is wearing to the fact that the shoelaces have been removed.

The winning photographs fall under two headline awards: ‘World Press Photo of the Year’ and ‘World Press Photo Story of the Year,’ the latter of which showcases a series of images from a particular assignment or project from photojournalists around the world. There are eight additional categories, each of which has its own set of winners: Contemporary Issues, Environment, General News, Long Term Projects, Nature, Portraits, Sports and Spot News. Each of these categories have the sub-categories of single picture entries and story entries with the exception of Long Term Projects, which is a series.

We’ve rounded up the single picture first, second and third prize winners for each category in the gallery above. Along with the image will be a caption and accompanying backstory provided by the photographers and edited for clarity and brevity by World Press Photo.

2019 World Press Photo of the Year Winner

Crying Girl on the Border | © John Moore, Getty Images

Crying Girl on the Border | © John Moore, Getty Images

Caption: Honduran toddler Yanela Sanchez cries as she and her mother, Sandra Sanchez, are taken into custody by US border officials in McAllen, Texas, USA, on 12 June.

Story: Immigrant families had rafted across the Rio Grande from Mexico and were then detained by US authorities. Sandra Sanchez said that she and her daughter had been traveling for a month through Central America and Mexico before reaching the US to seek asylum. The Trump Administration had announced a ‘zero tolerance’ policy at the border under which immigrants caught entering the US could be criminally prosecuted. As a result, many apprehended parents were separated from their children, often sent to different detention facilities. After this picture was published worldwide, US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Yanela and her mother had not been among the thousands who had been separated by US officials. Nevertheless, public outcry over the controversial practice resulted in President Donald Trump reversing the policy on 20 June.

2019 World Press Photo Contemporary Issues Single First Prize

The Cubanitas | © Diana Markosian, Magnum Photos

The Cubanitas | © Diana Markosian, Magnum Photos

Caption: Pura rides around her neighborhood in a pink 1950s convertible, as the community gathers to celebrate her fifteenth birthday, in Havana, Cuba.

Story: A girl’s quinceañera (fifteenth birthday) is a Latino coming-of-age tradition marking transition into womanhood. It is a gender-specific rite of passage, traditionally showcasing a girl’s purity and readiness for marriage. Families go to great expense, often celebrating with a lavish party. The girl dresses as a princess, living out a fantasy and perceived idea of femininity. In Cuba, the tradition has transformed into a performance involving photo and video shoots, often documented in a photobook. Pura’s quinceañera had a special poignancy, as some years earlier, having been diagnosed with a brain tumor, she was told she would not live beyond the age of 13.

2019 World Press Photo Contemporary Issues Single Second Prize

Male Rape | © Mary F. Calvert

Male Rape | © Mary F. Calvert

Caption: Former US marine Ethan Hanson bathes at home in Austin, Minnesota, USA, after a sexual trauma experienced during his military service left him unable to take showers.

Story: During a boot camp, Ethan and fellow recruits were ordered to walk naked through a communal shower while pressed together. Ethan reported the incident, but was harassed by the other men for doing so. Nightmares and panic attacks later forced him to resign. Recent Defense Department figures show sexual assault in the military to be on the increase. Servicemen are less likely than women to report sexual trauma, fearing retaliation or stigma.

2019 World Press Photo Contemporary Issues Single Third Prize

Afghan Refugees Waiting to Cross the Iranian Border | © Enayat Asadi

Afghan Refugees Waiting to Cross the Iranian Border | © Enayat Asadi

Caption: An Afghan refugee comforts his companion while waiting for transport across the eastern border of Iran, on 27 July.

Story: UNHCR reports that Iran has almost one million registered refugees, the vast majority from Afghanistan. In addition, more than 1.5 million undocumented Afghans are estimated to be present in the country. Many people fleeing violence, insecurity and poverty in Afghanistan find no alternative but to use illegal traffickers, along routes where they are exposed to robbery, kidnapping and death. Their aim is to pass through Iran and Turkey or Greece to seek a better life elsewhere, but trafficked refugees are highly vulnerable to forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, or work in the sex trade.

2019 World Press Photo Environment Single First Prize

Akashinga – the Brave Ones | © Brent Stirton, Getty Images

Akashinga – the Brave Ones | © Brent Stirton, Getty Images

Caption: Petronella Chigumbura (30), a member of an all-female anti-poaching unit called Akashinga, participates in stealth and concealment training in the Phundundu Wildlife Park, Zimbabwe.

Story: Akashinga (‘The Brave Ones’) is a ranger force established as an alternative conservation model. It aims to work with, rather than against local populations, for the long-term benefits of their communities and the environment. Akashinga comprises women from disadvantaged backgrounds, empowering them, offering jobs, and helping local people to benefit directly from the preservation of wildlife. Other strategies—such as using fees from trophy hunting to fund conservation—have been criticized for imposing solutions from the outside and excluding the needs of local people.

2019 World Press Photo Environment Single Second Prize

Evacuated | © Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times

Evacuated | © Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times

Caption: Evacuated horses stand tied to a pole, as smoke from a wildfire billows above them, on Zuma Beach, in Malibu, California, USA, on 10 November.

Story: The 2018 wildfire season in California was the deadliest and most destructive on record, burning an area of more than 676,000 hectares. While scientists pointed to the vegetation-drying effects of climate change as a cause, US President Donald Trump blamed forest management.

2019 World Press Photo Environment Single Third Prize

Living Among What’s Left Behind | © Mário Cruz

Living Among What’s Left Behind | © Mário Cruz

Caption: A child who collects recyclable material lies on a mattress surrounded by garbage floating on the Pasig River, in Manila, Philippines.

Story: The Pasig River was declared biologically dead in the 1990s, due to a combination of industrial pollution and waste being dumped by nearby communities living without adequate sanitation infrastructure. A 2017 report by Nature Communications cites the Pasig as one of 20 most polluted rivers in the world, with up to 63,700 tons of plastic deposited into the ocean each year. Considerable efforts are being made to clean up the Pasig, which were recognized by an international prize in 2018, but in some parts of the river the waste is still so dense that it is possible to walk on top of the garbage.

2019 World Press Photo General News Single First Prize

The Disappearance of Jamal Kashoggi | © Chris McGrath, Getty Images

The Disappearance of Jamal Kashoggi | © Chris McGrath, Getty Images

Caption: An unidentified man tries to hold back the press on 15 October, as Saudi investigators arrive at the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, amid a growing international backlash to the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Story: A critic of the Saudi regime, Khashoggi had been missing since entering the consulate on 2 October to obtain documents. After weeks of rumor and false information, Riyadh announced that Khashoggi had been killed accidentally during an altercation. Turkish authorities and the CIA claimed he had been murdered by Saudi intelligence operatives, working under high Saudi authority.

2019 World Press Photo General News Single Second Prize

Still Life Volcano | © Daniele Volpe

Still Life Volcano | © Daniele Volpe

Caption: The living-room of an abandoned home in San Miguel Los Lotes, Guatemala, lies covered in ash after the eruption of Volcán de Fuego on 3 June 2018.

Story: Fuego, around 40 km southwest of the capital Guatemala City, is one of Latin America’s most active volcanoes, and has been erupting periodically since 2002. It is monitored by volcanologists, but this eruption came without warning. People living around the volcano, many at Sunday lunch, were surprised by the suddenness of the event, as Fuego spewed red-hot lava, ash, poisonous gases and flaming debris onto villages below. The eruption was one of the deadliest in Guatemala for over a century. Guatemala’s National Institute of Forensic Sciences reported the recovery of 318 bodies, over a third of them unidentified.

2019 World Press Photo General News Single Third Prize

Unilateral | © Brendan Smialowski, Agence France-Presse

Unilateral | © Brendan Smialowski, Agence France-Presse

Caption: US President Donald Trump leads France’s President Emmanuel Macron by the hand while walking to the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington DC, on 24 April 2018.

Story: President Macron’s three-day visit to the United States was the first official state visit of the Trump administration. Unexpectedly, the two presidents’ body language went beyond the norm for such visits, bordering on the intimate. The leaders also praised each other effusively. The 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran was one of the main topics under discussion. Macron aimed to persuade Trump to adhere to the deal, which limited Iran’s nuclear program in return for a lifting of sanctions, but failed. On 8 May 2018, President Trump withdrew from the agreement, breaking with European allies. The relationship between the two leaders appears to have soured, with Trump later attacking Macron on Twitter.

2019 World Press Photo Nature Single First Prize

Survival Instinct | © Bence Máté

Survival Instinct | © Bence Máté

Caption: Frogs with their legs severed and surrounded by frogspawn struggle to the surface, after being thrown back into the water in Covasna, Eastern Carpathians, Romania, in April 2018.

Story: Frogs legs are frequently harvested for food in the spring, when males and females gather to mate and spawn. Legs are sometimes severed while the animal is still living. Each year, about US$ 40 million worth are sold annually, with countries across the world participating in the trade.

2019 World Press Photo Nature Single Second Prize

Flamingo Socks | © Jasper Doest

Flamingo Socks | © Jasper Doest

Caption: A Caribbean flamingo inspects the improvised socks created to help heal its severe foot lesions, at the Fundashon Dier en Onderwijs Cariben, Curaçao.

Story: The bird was brought by plane from neighboring island Bonaire, after spending a few weeks in a local rehabilitation facility. Such lesions are common among captive flamingos, as they have very sensitive feet and are used to walking on soft ground. After a few weeks of care the bird was transported back to Bonaire There are around 3,000 breeding pairs of Caribbean flamingos on Bonaire, and a further 200 to 300 birds on Curaçao.

2019 World Press Photo Nature Single Third Prize

Glass Butterfly | © Angel Fitor

Glass Butterfly | © Angel Fitor

Caption: A winged comb jelly, Leucothea multicornis, its wings widely opened, propels itself through waters off Alicante, Spain.

Story: Leucothea multicornis, like other comb jellies, is a voracious predator, capturing its prey using sticky cells rather than by stinging. Little is currently known about the biology of comb jellies. Because the creatures are so fragile and fold their wings in reaction to the slightest vibration, they are extremely difficult to study and to photograph.

2019 World Press Photo Portrait Single First Prize

Dakar Fashion | © Finbarr O’Reilly

Dakar Fashion | © Finbarr O’Reilly

Caption: Diarra Ndiaye, Ndeye Fatou Mbaye and Mariz Sakho model outfits by designer Adama Paris, in the Medina neighborhood of the Senegalese capital, Dakar, as curious residents look on.

Story: Dakar is a growing hub of Franco-African fashion, and is home to Fashion Africa TV, the first station entirely dedicated to fashion on the continent. The annual Dakar Fashion Week includes an extravagant street show that is open to all and attended by thousands from all corners of the capital. Adama Paris (who has a namesake brand) is a driving force behind the fashion week, and much else on the design scene.

2019 World Press Photo Portrait Single Second Prize

Black Birds | © Heba Khamis

Black Birds | © Heba Khamis

Caption: Jochen (71) and Mohamed (21; not his real name) sit in the Tiergarten, Berlin. Jochen fell in love after meeting Mohamed, then a sex worker in the park. They have been dating for 19 months.

Story: Prostitution between consenting adults is legal in Germany, and German aid charities have reported a marked increase in the number of young migrants turning to sex work. While they wait for their documents, refugees are not allowed to work legally or attend school. The German government prioritizes assistance to refugees from countries with an ongoing war; those seeking asylum from countries without war are placed in a second category, where papers take longer to complete. This lack of employment opportunity creates a severe lack of choice for many, with some young men becoming sex workers, sometimes to fund a heroin addiction. The Tiergarten, a large park in central Berlin, is a popular meeting spot for male sex workers and older clients. Mohamed now works in a gay bar, and is quitting heroin.

2019 World Press Photo Portrait Single Third Prize

When I Was Ill | © Alyona Kochetkova

When I Was Ill | © Alyona Kochetkova

Caption: Alyona Kochetkova sits at home, unable to face borscht (beet soup), her favorite food, during treatment for cancer.

Story: Alyona shot this self-portrait following surgery and chemotherapy, when, although she knew the vital importance of food, she struggled to eat. Taking photos was not only a way of sharing a difficult and personal story in the hope that it might support others with a cancer diagnosis, it was also a means of accepting her ordeal by doing what she loved.

2019 World Press Photo Sports Single First Prize

Boxing in Katanga | © John T. Pedersen

Boxing in Katanga | © John T. Pedersen

Caption: Boxer Morin Ajambo (30) trains in Katanga, a large slum settlement in Kampala, Uganda, on 24 March.

Story: More than 20,000 people live in Katanga, crowded together and often in extreme poverty. The boxing club receives no outside funding. From these disadvantaged beginnings, Ajambo, a mother of seven, went on to box in the Ugandan women’s team. Men’s boxing has a long history in Uganda, bur women boxers are often frustrated by the few opportunities to compete at an international level.

2019 World Press Photo Sports Single Second Prize

Sunlight Serve | © David Gray, Reuters

Sunlight Serve | © David Gray, Reuters

Caption: Naomi Osaka serves during her match against Simona Halep from Romania during the Australian Open tennis tournament, at Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia, on 22 January.

Story: Osaka, who was born to a Japanese mother and Haitian father is now based in Florida, USA, went on to win the tournament. In September, she won the US Open women’s singles, defeating Serena Williams. Over the course of 2018, Osaka rose from number 72 in world rankings to number one.

2019 World Press Photo Sports Single Third Prize

Shields Strikes Back | © Terrell Groggins

Shields Strikes Back | © Terrell Groggins

Caption: Olympic champion Claressa Shields (right) meets Hanna Gabriels in a boxing match at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on 22 June.

Story: Shields suffered a second-round knock down by Gabriels—the first in her career—but went on to win the match by unanimous decision. Shields is the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, and the first (male or female) to win a gold back-to-back in successive Olympic Games. She has had only one loss in her career, against British World Champion Savannah Marshal, in 2012.

2019 World Press Photo Spot News Single First Prize

Crying Girl on the Border | © John Moore, Getty Images

Crying Girl on the Border | © John Moore, Getty Images

Caption: Honduran toddler Yanela Sanchez cries as she and her mother, Sandra Sanchez, are taken into custody by US border officials in McAllen, Texas, USA, on 12 June.

Story: Immigrant families had rafted across the Rio Grande from Mexico and were then detained by US authorities. Sandra Sanchez said that she and her daughter had been traveling for a month through Central America and Mexico before reaching the US to seek asylum. The Trump Administration had announced a ‘zero tolerance’ policy at the border under which immigrants caught entering the US could be criminally prosecuted. As a result, many apprehended parents were separated from their children, often sent to different detention facilities. After this picture was published worldwide, US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Yanela and her mother had not been among the thousands who had been separated by US officials. Nevertheless, public outcry over the controversial practice resulted in President Donald Trump reversing the policy on 20 June.

2019 World Press Photo Spot News Single Second Prize

Warning: the above image is graphic in nature. Click here to see the original photo. The Death of Michael Nadayo | © Ezra Acayan

Warning: the above image is graphic in nature. Click here to see the original photo. The Death of Michael Nadayo | © Ezra Acayan

The Death of Michael Nadayo | © Ezra Acayan

Caption: The body of Michael Nadayao lies in the street after he was shot dead by unidentified men in front of mourners at a wake, in Quezon City, Philippines, on 31 August 2018.

Story: President Rodrigo Duterte began a concerted anti-drug offensive soon after taking office in June 2016, repeatedly ordering increased attacks against suspects. Amnesty International reports that this led to human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings by both civilians and police. A spokesman for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said the campaign had led to 5,050 deaths by December 2018, with Human Rights Watch citing over 12,000. In June, 38 UN member states called on President Duterte to end the killings and probe the causes of the drug war.

2019 World Press Photo Spot News Single Third Prize

Climbing the Border Fence | © Pedro Pardo, Agence France-Presse

Climbing the Border Fence | © Pedro Pardo, Agence France-Presse

Caption: Central American migrants climb the border fence between Mexico and the United States, near El Chaparral border crossing, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on 25 November 2018.

Story: Refugees who were part of a caravan that originated in Honduras in October 2018, began arriving at the border in November 2018 to find a backlog of some 3,000 people waiting to be processed into the United States, and a potential delay of months. This led to rising tensions, and to people breaking away from the caravan to attempt their own entry.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CP+ 2019: We tour Panasonic’s Yamagata lens factory

09 Apr

Yamagata: a long way from Osaka

Left to Right; Kiyokazu Ishiyama, Kuniko Katagiri, Kimihiro Wakamizu, Toshiaki Takano and Takemi Oketa

The city of Tend? sits on a wide plain in the Yamagata prefecture of North Eastern Japan. It’s a city of just 61,000 people and, with snow-topped peaks visible in nearly every direction, feels even more distant from Panasonic’s headquarters in industrial Osaka than the 600km (370 miles) that actually separate them.

But this quiet spot, hemmed-in by the Iide, ?u and Asahi mountain ranges, plays an essential role in the company’s camera business, as it’s home to Panasonic’s Yamagata lens factory.

It makes other things, too, but we visited because it’s responsible for lens units for compact cameras, interchangeable lenses, and lens elements for both Panasonic and other (un-named) customers. The factory was founded in 1982 and has been making lenses since 1987, giving it 35 years of experience in the field. But, the company maintains, it’s still constantly looking for ways to improve.

All of the images in this article were supplied by Panasonic and are used with permission.

All the usual processes

Lens elements about to be coated by vapor deposition

The factory can take rough glass blanks or the raw materials for plastic elements in at one end and do all the processing and assembly needed to make a complete lens.

This sees glass elements ground and polished to shape. These elements then have their edges ground off, with careful attention given to ensuring the optical center of the lens is perfectly central within the element. The lenses are then coated, by vapor deposition, to give them the anti-reflective and water/oil resistant coating they might need, before having their edges blacked, to prevent internal reflections.

These lenses are then either installed into lens barrels (also made at the factory) or sent elsewhere. Although the factory can build a lens from start to finish, it also creates individual lens elements that are sent off to other manufacturers, both for Panasonic and other companies’ products.

Precision construction and checking

Some lenses have alignment adjusted by machine, others are fine-tuned manually

For the lenses that are made in Yamagata, the assembly process is pretty involved. The word that came up most often during my visit was the word ‘precision,’ and Panasonic is clearly proud of its ability both to assemble lenses with high precision and to measure and confirm that precision.

The example I was shown was the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH Power OIS. It’s a fairly complex lens with 20 elements in five groups. The different groups are assembled and then introduced into the lens barrel.

Every group has to be made and positioned with high precision, but it’s impossible to make the entire lens with perfect precision. As a result, the lens is designed so that the groups that are most sensitive to tilt and centering (the ones that have the biggest effect on image quality) are adjustable.

Adjusting the 100-400mm F4.0-6.3

Three of the five groups that make up the 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH are adjusted during the manufacturing process

In the case of the 100-400mm, there are three groups that are designed to be adjusted.

The third group is adjusted for tilt and for centering within the barrel. With this done, the rest of the lens is assembled and spacing between groups one and two is adjusted. Finally, the first group is adjusted for tilt and centering.

The company says the lenses are designed to be centered to within 5?m, but the factory actually achieves less than 3?m. Tilt is supposed to be corrected to within 3/60th of a degree but the accuracy actually achieved is less than 1/60th of a degree.

Individual checks

Each lens is checked for any unexpected mechanical noise

Every lens is then adjusted for back-focus and tracking, then subjected to MTF measurements. Each unit is also checked to ensure its gyro sensors are correctly calibrated and that there’s nothing generating any unexpected mechanical noise.

Every single lens is checked, they say, and lenses are then picked at random for more extensive testing as part of the quality control process.

Aspherical expertise

Aspherical elements are used to offer different optical corrections at different points across its surface

But the site’s main area of expertise, and the reason other brands come to it for lenses and elements, relates to aspherical lens elements. Aspherical lenses are those whose surfaces vary in shape across their surface, such that they can’t be described by a sections of a sphere.

They’re are used to correct a phenomenon known as ‘spherical aberration,’ where rays of light passing through the edge of a lens are effectively focused at a different distance to those passing through the center of the lens. Adding aspherical lenses to a design can replace the need for multiple elements, which can help make the lens as a whole smaller, lighter, cheaper or simply better optically corrected.

The role of the die: too important to be left to chance

Aspheric lenses, whether plastic or glass, need to be re-shaped using precision dies or molds

The key to creating an aspherical lens element, whether its glass or plastic, is the ability to precisely form the complex shape of the element. And a key part of this is creating a die: the shaped tool that presses the plastic or glass into the correct shape. The precision of the shape of these dies is essential to ensure the resulting lens element has the correct optical properties.

The factory has capacity to make around 400 dies per month, working 24 hours in two shifts. These are made from very hard metal and require high pressures for shaping them.

The molds for glass elements can be used to shape between 500 and 1500 units before they need replacing. The molds for injection-molded plastics lenses will last for around 10,000 elements before it needs replacing. The company says it takes around five weeks to go from a design to having a working mold, while the molds for glass take around 8 weeks.

Expertise + experience

Even the relatively modest 14-45mm F3.5-5.6mm Micro Four Thirds kit zoom uses an aspherical element in its design (one of a pair of elements cemented together near the very right of this image)

This expertise has been developed over the company’s many years experience of making aspherics. For instance, its work making both glass and plastic lenses means this knowledge can be worked-in at the design stage.

Panasonic says having these expertise within the company is central to the development of new products: the factory communicates with the design team on a regular basis. During the product development process, the factory will recommend materials and manufacturing processes that the design team then takes into account when coming up with a final design. This sharing of knowledge ensures the products can take full advantage of what it’s possible to repeatably produce, using its molding technology, assembly and high-precision evaluation.

The factory once received a request for a very small compact camera, which required a very thin lens. The factory worked with designers and engineers to achieve a lens element with 0.3mm thickness: the thinnest aspherical lens element in the market at that time.

Process improvement

Panasonic’s expert polishers can refine the surface of a molding die from a roughness of 50nm down to 20nm

But, in addition to building up experience, Panasonic also takes the Kaizen approach to continuous process improvement: constantly looking, and looking to its staff, for ways to improve the way it works.

This focus on improvement has helped it refine the production quality of its aspherical lenses.

Press releases regularly talk about the number of aperture blades and their shape as the way of ensuring better bokeh, but all they do is define how circular the bokeh is. The smoothness of the lens elements also has a vital role to play: any imperfections in the lens surface can result in an onion-ring pattern appearing in the bokeh.

Panasonic found surface smoothness of the final lenses could be improved if the dies used to shape them are coated by vapor deposition (the same process used to coat lenses).

Meanwhile, the dies used for glass molding (which are subjected to much greater temperatures and forces), can be improved by hand-polishing. The factory’s ten trained polishers can take a die with 50nm roughness and take it to 20nm, again, improving the bokeh performance.

In perfect shape

Panasonic has developed its own machine to assess the shape of the lens to within 100nm

A machine developed in-house, known as the UA3P (Ultra accurate 3D profilometer) checks the shape: the shape of the lens can be created to within 100nm of the intended shape.

The company says that making the small, high-resolving-power lens elements for compact cameras was very valuable for developing the facilities, technologies and skills needed to build lenses for larger cameras (Micro Four Thirds and full frame). However, some of the specific challenges are different: temperature control becomes even more critical when building lenses at larger scales.

The lens has to be cooled very evenly, to ensure both its shape and the optical properties of its glass remain consistent across the element. This requires the development of a new machine with more precise temperature control.

Looking beyond lenses, and beyond Panasonic

The factory has invested in new machines to deal with the challenges of making elements for its S-series lenses

The factor I found most interesting was how it’s responding to a changing market. The factory was first established to make magnetic tape heads for video recorders: something that’s much less in demand than it was in 1982.

Now, as the camera market declines, Yamagata is looking for ways to adapt to market demand again, and has started making lens modules for automotive sensors and the complex mirrors needed to project a head-up display (HUD) image onto a car’s windscreen.

Even on the lens side, the demands of supporting Panasonic’s interchangeable lens business is very different to creating vast numbers of the complex lenses needed for its travel zoom compacts.

Not all Panasonic lenses are made at Yamagata and not all lenses made at Yamagata are for Panasonic

The move to making fewer, but more challenging lenses has prompted a lot of investment in new machinery. Where previously the factory had a few machines performing the same process thousands of times, it now has large numbers of machines designed to create fewer elements but with even higher precision. Interestingly, although the factory can manufacture most of the components for a complete lens, not all of the company’s lenses are built in Yamagata.

Having been rushed through the factory, there was one area we weren’t allowed to visit. This is essentially a mirror-image of the areas I was shown, but all working for another, unspecified client. Something to consider, next time you see the phrase ‘Made in Japan’ on a lens you weren’t expecting to see it on.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CIPA’s February 2019 report shows huge drop in global digital camera shipments

09 Apr

The Japanese Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has published a new graph showing the number of cameras shipped in February 2019 and the figures aren’t reassuring. According to the association, sales were down from January 2019 and had substantially decreased compared with February 2018.

Global digital camera shipments in February 2019 came in at only 935,148 units compared to the 1,001,398 shipped in January 2019. This is a more than 30% decrease year-over-year, with January 2018 having seen 1,340,492 shipments and February 2018 having maintained a consistent rate at 1,340,995.

A decrease was experienced in the interchangeable lens camera market as well, dropping from 798,014 in February 2018 to 521,217 in February 2019. Both the February 2018 and 2019 shipment periods were lower than February 2017, which had 843,217 in global interchangeable lens camera shipments.

A similar, though not quite as dramatic, decrease in global built-in lens digital camera shipments was experienced in February 2019 compared to February 2018 at 413,931 units versus 542,981.

According to the CIPA data, global digital camera shipments remained very similar from January to February 2017 and increased slightly for those same months in 2018. The trend changed in 2019, with overall February shipments dipping a little more than 6% below January’s global shipment numbers.

The numbers are concerning due to the general decrease year-over-year, but also because the shipment numbers decreased during a time in the year when they previously remained relatively steady or began increasing. It’s yet to be seen whether March’s figures represent yet another decrease or if February’s shipment numbers end up being an unfortunate, concerning fluke.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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